Top 10 Things We're Excited to See in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

To say we’re all excited to see STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is the understatement to slaughter all understatements. We have several days left to go before the film comes out, but we’ve been preparing for months like it’s the birth of our child. We have our outfits selected for opening night; we know the fastest way to the theater; we know how early we’re going to get in line and; for the love of Christ, if that one friend decides to show up late because they know we’re gonna save them a seat anyway they have another thing coming.

But why are we so pumped and ready to thrust ourselves back into the galaxy far, far away? It’s not just because the title has “STAR WARS” in it. Okay, maybe that does make up for about 60% of our motivation, but there are tons of reasons why we so eagerly await each and every new film in this franchise. Now with only a few days left to go, we here at JoBlo have come up with 10 big reasons why we are so incredibly and desperately excited to see this new STAR WARS adventure. And, sadly, “Because I bought this authentic Chewbacca costume for a reason” came in at no. 11

10. New Characters

With a sequel comes new characters, and though they may not all always be of significant importance, they're all here for the sake of expanding the main story and adding in new elements to the stories of the main characters. This time around we will see the likes of Kelly Marie Tran as Rose, Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Holdo and Benicio Del Toro as DJ among the new additions, and we’re all so intrigued about they will bring to the table. We don’t even know the full name of Del Toro’s character! Why? I have no clue! Figuring out such little details about these characters is a big reason why meeting them all cracks this list.

9. Expansion of the Universe

The STAR WARS universe seemed big and vast when audiences first entered the theater to watch A NEW HOPE, but it has expanded to depths no one ever imagined. The lore has become so rich and deep thanks to more movies, books, video games and more, and these brand-new movies are adding to them still. In LAST JEDI we’ll see new planets and settings (Canton Bight), new creatures, vehicles, and learn more about characters we were introduced to in FORCE AWAKENS.

8. Porgs

Do I really need to explain myself here? Look at these little space-guinea-pig-penguins! They’re fluffy, make cool noises and I want one. Anyone who says they aren't excited to see these little guys is lying to your face and should be punished. Moving on.

7. Sci-Fi Action

No matter how much we love all the characters, the mythology and the grandiose storytelling, deep down inside, we all know a big reason why we keep showing out for these movies is to watch spaceships blow up and to watch people with powers cut other people in half with laser swords. Some of our fondest memories watching the series include watching TIE fighters screeching through the air, X-Wings blasting enemies out of the sky, blaster bolts rocketing across the battlefield, and the whishing and whooshing of lightsabers before they clash together. Based on the trailers we can hope to see plenty of the aforementioned awesomeness, with one anticipated battle occurring between the Resistance and the First Order taking place on a flat, dessert battlefield. And who isn’t pumped to see Luke Skywalker wield a lightsaber again!?

The STAR WARS series has seen many directors come and go, each bringing their own sensibilities and styles to their movies. From the moment we saw the first teaser, and throughout all the major trailers, we could tell Rian Johnson was bringing us something unique. There are some beautiful shots in the trailers alone, and the recurring color scheme of red and black help give the footage an artistic quality unseen in a STAR WARS movie before. Now I know none but a select few have seen the movie, thus analyzing the director’s work is impossible at this point, but there’s enough footage out there to get excited to see more of what Johnson brought to the table, and how his visual sensibilities work within the framework of this massive blockbuster.

5. Evolution of Returning Characters

One way FORCE AWAKENS was able to stand on its own two feet among the rest of the movies in the series was by introducing the world to now globally recognized characters, each with stories worth exploring further. This particularly applies to Sith baddie Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley), both of whom have pasts as mysterious as their futures, and how their relationship and rivalry evolves in this movie is of supreme interest to us, and many fans. Rey’s parentage and, as she says, “place in all this,” has been up for much debate and theorizing in the past two years, and with THE LAST JEDI, we will be one step closer to finding out the true history of this lightsaber-weilding badass.

We tragically lost actress Carrie Fisher almost a year ago, and the wounds from losing the one and only Princess (now General) Leia has been a tough one to heal. She was also (probably) set to be in EPISODE IX, but sadly this will be her last on-screen appearance. Watching LAST JEDI will be a bittersweet experience for this very reason, and word from early reactions to the movie hint this is the best she’s ever been across her STAR WARS films. How the movie will address the character not being able to appear in the next chapter is also of serious interest, but at the end of the day, saying farewell to the greatest princess the galaxy has ever seen will make LAST JEDI a worthwhile experience.

3. Learning About Supreme Leader Snoke

In FORCE AWAKENS we were introduced to the Emperor-like character of these new movies – Supreme Leader Snoke (done in motion capture by Andy Serkis). We only saw him in hologram form in AWAKENS, but by god was he able to make a lasting impression. Who the hell is this deformed grouch? What role does he have to play in the tutelage of Kylo Ren? Why does he want so badly to convert Rey to the dark side? Can he shoot lightning out of his fingers? There is so much to know about this evil puppeteer, and in the LAST JEDI, we will probably be able to walk away with a few theories checked off the list.

2. The Return of Luke

Due to the fact secrets were kept on the lowest of lows before the release of FORCE AWAKENS, no one really knew how big of a role Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) would have in the new movie. Turns out, he had virtually no screen time at all, and definitely no lines. But for this new movie, we already know we’ll see a much different Luke, one who was driven into exile by…something. Was it his failure with Ren, and watching his work trying to teach a new generation of Jedi crumble before him? Whatever the reason, Luke seems disillusioned, and when it comes to Rey and her powers, terrified. This a far cry from the farm boy we saw in the original trilogy, and one who no doubt has grown his powers and become a true Jedi master – albeit one who needs to be reintroduced to the world he left behind. No matter how he’s changed in the last several decades, it will be good to see the character back on screen again, lightsaber in hand. Is a hand still a hand when it’s made of metal and wires?

1. The Continuation of the Story

As discussed in the above sections, there are tons of details about the movie we’re excited to see – like the evolution of the characters, mysteries solved and epic space action. But above all, what makes this new movie so important is how it continues the story that the FORCE AWAKENS kicked off two years ago. If that movie was just about setting up the pieces, LAST JEDI is all about moving into positions that will shock us, surprise us, and prepare us for the epic finale in 2019. We can sit here and say that we’re excited to maybe learn who Rey’s parents are or to learn if Snoke really is Jar Jar Binks in his true form, but how everyone relates to everyone else and how that all moves the story forward is the biggest reason why we, and no doubt all of you, will have your eyes glued to the massive theater screen.

What about you, gang? Why are you excited to see the new STAR WARS movie? Sound off below! Let me guess; it's because of the Porgs, right?